[vinitbhavi]

A little bit about myself and my car history:
Although the hunt for best routes and travelogues kept bringing me to TeamBHP since many years, I joined the forum very recently (Aug-2015). Right from Premier Padmini (Fiat) days of the 80's, cars and driving have been very close to the heart. After late dad's two Fiats in the 80's, a Maruti 800 in the 90's and my own two cars including a 4th hand 13 year old 800 and a pre worshiped Indica , I finally was content with a brand new SX4 in 2008, and boy was she beautiful, fast, agile and what a looker!
The awesome SX4 from the Maruti Stable


Many here will agree she was probably one of the best Maruti products of the late 2000's. Being a Marine Engineer, I would spend many months away at sea and the car was not being driven by wife as it was not an easy city drive. After 5 fulfilling years in 2013 and just 36000 on the ODO she was given away in exchange for a sparkling new Hyundai Grand i10 which was a more practical and comfortable car for the wife to drive when I would be sailing and quite convenient for me too in the city. Meanwhile, the bug of a big & powerful car had already bitten and I was on the lookout for a highway capable cruiser. By this time (2015) everyone was suddenly opting for bigger vehicles and the compact SUV market was booming. In the meantime, I went off to sea again and the new car decision moved to the back burner for the entire period when I was sailing.

Alternatives Considered: Fast forward to April 2016 and I again started actively looking for my next car. I was primarily considering a compact 5- seater SUV or a full grown 7 seater SUV. After reading lots of threads by stalwarts (name deleted) on the TBHP forum, I wanted a off/soft-roader. So one thing was non negotiable - must have a AWD. My budget was around 20 L +/- 2L. After combing through reviews, videos, and ownership experiences, it came down to only 2 real candidates - the XUV5OO and the then newly launched Renault Duster AWD (2016). No other car matched the two main requirements of budget and AWD. The Creta was also TDed and it was quite a nice vehicle.
IMHO it was overpriced and lacked AWD and cruise control both which were present in the final two contenders.

Renault Duster: The test drive for the duster was a mixed bag of sorts. After getting in the vehicle, the first thing I noticed were the eye-sore interiors. I had read a lot about owners ignoring this fact, but somehow I just couldn't. Being a gadget freak, the lack of features did not go down well with me. The test drive was good and handling of the vehicle was really nice. We also did a small off-road circuit of sorts and the vehicle performed with aplomb. Besides interiors, another issue I noticed was the air-con, which didn't cool the cabin sufficiently even after 15 minutes. This was a huge downer. The final comment made by my friend sealed the decision. He said it felt exactly like a sedan and even the space offered was quite limited. The big burly SUV feel was missing.

The XUV 5OO: I had always liked the XUV for its butch looks, the dominating stance, loaded to the brim equipment and to an extent it was Made In India which did make me feel proud. The reservations were also aplenty- Such a huge vehicle in city traffic might be a handful, Do I really need a 7-seater, Niggles niggles and more niggles. Any vehicle cannot be judged until driven for a longish TD. So I booked a Zoomcar XUV for a 50 kms round trip to Navi Mumbai and back. The vehicle was not maintained as expected and the interiors were strictly OK. However the drive and power that was something out of this world. The 2.2L engine sounded sweet and I didn't feel I was in a Diesel vehicle. All that power of 140 horses makes one feel on top of the world.

My family did like the car but were apprehensive about the size. After returning the vehicle I just couldn't stop thinking about the XUV. Just remembering the exhilarating feeling of driving the XUV would put a smile on my face everytime. That smile finally sealed the decision!

This is my first ownership review. I am still learning, so kindly pardon any mistakes. All I can say is I write truly from the heart and to the best of my abilities.
A small preview of the beast:



Test drive & Booking experience: I decided on NBS Andheri as it was a Mahindra owned enterprise. I test-drove both the manual and Autobox. Equally liked both the variants.

My apprehensions with the auto were as follows :
- Its a new technology so will have to wait and watch how it works out for Mahindra, the manual meanwhile is tried and tested.
-The combination of A/T and AWD is pushing the price beyond the bidget, would like to be within the psychological limit of 20L.
- Too many electronics in the A/T for my comfort exponential chances of things going wrong.
- More fun / control driving a manual, easier for off-roading as well albeit for the mild kind.

The reasons favouring the AT :
- XUV MTs gear shifts - not a strong point . It's quite notchy.
(especially while downshifting from 3rd to 2nd)
-The paradigm is shifting towards ATs in India - slowly but surely.
-Aisin make AT box - peace of mind (although relative )
I agree for city driving AT is useful, but my XUV would be mainly for out of Bombay incursions and weekend drives outside city. I have the grand i10 for daily commute.
So the manual was a clear choice for me.

Variant choice : My primary requirement was the AWD which I believe is a core part of being a SUV. An automatic-transmission would also be nice. But the AWD was not available in the W8 Automatic variant and the W10 AWD AT was pushing the price too high taking away the value for money proposition of the XUV. The sheer joy and complete control of a Manual can never be had in an autobox.

My cheetah would primarily be for weekend drives and road trips and not for daily commute where an AT would be more useful. Last but most importantly, the 6-speed Aisin gearbox, having released only a couple of months back, there were no detailed ownership reports and its performance in Indian conditions was unproven. So I was leaning towards the Manual Transmission W8 AWD. A quick Skype call with my Mom (who was in the US visiting my sister) sealed the decision for the variant.. The only downside of booking in April 2016 was that I had to pay the Post Budget prices which increased the pay-out by upto Rs.75,000/- on some variants. The team at Mahindra - being the good people they are - promptly introduced the Refresh version for the AWD W8. The important additions to the refresh W8 version were the push button start, voice messaging system and passive keyless entry. These were welcome additions making the only omissions from W10 being the sunroof, powered seat adjustment and the brake regeneration system. The W8 comes with top notch safety equipment - Front, side and curtain air bags (6 nos totally), ABS with EBD, ESP with rollover mitigation, Hill hold and HDC. This being a weekend outstation trips vehicle for me, all these safety features matter quite a lot to me.

My color preference was Sunset Orange and wife's was Opulent Purple. But Silver was ready available in stock, so we decided to go in for that rather than waiting. Our earlier SX4 being silver also gave it a nostalgic value.

Finally with the cheque book in hand the entire family (me, wife and twin one year olds) went to NBS international for the booking. The cheque included the down payment towards the loan, first instalment and accessories cost. The date was 28-Apr-2016 with delivery decided for 9-May-2016 on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya. The SA was instructed to deposit the cheque only after a PDI which I was scheduled to do on 30th April.

PDI Experience : The PDI was done on 30th April at the Mumbra stockyard for Mahindra. Bhpian Tanveer (Tanveer_2558) was kind enough to accompany me for the inspection. With the detailed checklist in hand, we reached the yard and the silver beauty was waiting for us. This was my first meeting with the cheetah and the connection was instant. I just kept on staring at her for few moments but then quickly got to the job at hand. ODO reading was 15 kms. Following were the issues noted at the PDI. I must confess it was mainly Tanveer (who has owned two xuv's) who spotted most of them.
1) There was no place for spanner to access the spare wheel
2) Boot door was uneven from both sides
3) Beige glove box inside was loose/ hanging
4) Left side wiper cladding was loose
5) Underbody cover was loose /hanging
6) Both front seats were dirty

Conveyed the observations to the SA with the hope same would be resolved prior delivery.

This is what I saw on arrival and I was drooling already


That's friendly neighbourhood BHPian Tanveer doing all the hard work


All issues from PDI were resolved to my satisfaction in next few days.

Delivery Experience (single vehicle, double delivery) : Monday 9th May 2016 - the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya finally dawned. Continuous phone calls and prodding were on during the entire week to make the delivery happen on that specific day. All formalities were completed except the RTO registration which was turning out to be a pain. We arrived at the dealership and saw the beauty wrapped in the cloak. We(wife and I) waited patiently with the twins who also sensed something great was about to happen. All paperwork and formalities were completed. Gave a small gift to the SA for helping out in everything. He however refused to allow the cheetah to be taken home that day due to temporary registration plates. It was a good day and I did not want to spoil it by arguing. We took ceremonial delivery that day and did the pooja which was important to be done on the auspicious day. A Mahindra representative took us for a small drive and I was thrilled to finally be sitting inside my own cheetah. With the promise of getting the cheetah home is 2-days, we bid goodbye and came back home. I kept thinking about the car and could hardly sleep. Finally with confirmed number plates, we brought the cheetah home on 12th May 2016. My feeling was a lot like when I first drove the SX4 , here was a huge beast being tamed by me. First drove to the petrol pump with the free fuel coupon and had a very enjoyable drive back. My cheetah Neb was finally home!

I call her Neb. Being a marine engineer my dream was to name my car after a famous ship and what ship is more famous than The Nebuchadnezzar, nicknamed the Neb,which is the battle ship featured in the The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded; it is used by the main characters Morpheus,Neo, and Trinity. I’m a big fan of the Matrix series.

She was waiting to meet us


The twins were getting impatient


And finally...


Pooja at Siddhivinayak Mandir after coming home


On-road price & discounts : The following are various amounts leading to the total on-road :

W8 AWD MT REFRESH - 16,66,052/-
Registration - 1,99,926/- (MUMBAI)
Extended Warranty - 22,950/-
Insurance (Policy Bazaar.com) - 41,500/- with Zero DEP
Accessories - 47,120/-
Flat Discount- 24,000/-

Total (All Inclusive) - 19,53,5638/-

Breakup of Accessories : Here's is a list of original Mahindra accessories I opted for during delivery;

Rain Visor : 2,165/-
Door Protector- Body Side Moulding : 2,280/-
Illuminated Scuff Plates : 4,405/-
XUV Side Step Premium : 11,825/-
Reverse Camera (integrated into the ICE) : 4,415/-
Rear Guard: 5,640/-
Side Curtain (4 NOS) : 1,459/-
Combo Offer (Antirust + Paint Protection) : 12,206/-
Cavity Treatment : 2,725

Also got the following things complimentary:
Carpet lamination : 3,320/-
Transparent mats : 2,183/-

What I like :
-The drive, Oh boy! I keep coming back to her and keep driving wishing the drive never ends. This feeling is probably the most important USP of this vehicle.
-The power is incredible and you can feel the energy and all the awesome power of those 140 horses!
-The awesome commanding road view and road presence
-Its actually gotten easier to drive in city traffic because of the awesome road presence
-Braking is great and confidence inspiring thanks to the all disc set up and ABS
-Loved the AWD capability which was put to good use
-Cruise Control makes highway driving a breeze
-Acres of space in both front and middle rows
-The aircon is a chiller never needed to cross above 3rd speed level on the blower
-All those gadgets and gizmos including bluesense app which can control so much from your phone at the touch of a button (remember I am gadget freak !!)
-Fuel efficiency is around 9 in city and 12 on the highway which is awesome for such a huge car. I expect this FE to improve after the first service
-With additional 2 years of warranty, I am looking at 5 years of peace-of-mind ownership
-Last but not the least, the entire VFM package. No other manufacturer gives so much south of the 20 Lakhs figure. She's absolutely packed to the brim with everything you can ask for!

What I didn't like :
Two plus months on I'm still smitten by my XUV. BUT she's not perfect either. Here are some grouses:
-The stock headlights don't instill too much confidence on highways at night.
-Suspension is on the softer side can feel the bumps though with the AWD, I rarely slow down for them though (just change to AWD on the fly)
-Left side pulling issue from the beginning which hasn't been resolved even after taking to the workshop. Will be doing from an expert external tyre store.
-Negligible space in the boot with all seats up. Might never need to use all seats, but still, having that option would have been nice.
-The wipers were pathetic and gave me quite a hard time during monsoons. This was resolved to an extent by changing of the wiper motor assembly and new blades. The issue is not totally resolved though.
-Audio quality is strictly okay
-The position of Push-Start on the left side of the driver makes it prone to accidental operation.
-The ODO resets to the main kms reading after starting the car each time instead of the Trip A/B selected. The tracks being played reset to Shuffle Off. Found both these quite irritating and time consuming at each start of the vehicle.
-Yes and the king of them all- The niggles!! Apparently they are reduced to a large extent on the facelift but not totally eliminated. The QC leaves a lot to be desired as was noted in our PDI. There is a sound coming from front right suspension which needs 3 days or more to be worked upon as per the workshop guys. Will be targeted in the first service. So the overall service experience has been very encouraging till now.

Initial Impressions : The XUV is quite a looker with a sharp design. Looks good from practically all angles.The front cheetah inspired LED’s which are not DRL’s (a pity) is the main defining feature differentiating it from the earlier variant.

From inside the black and beige interiors give it a very premium look and exudes class.
The new alloys are funky though the pre-facelift ones were nice as well.



















Attachment 1534727



The overall build is absolutely awesome and confidence inspiring. Feels like a tank on the roads. Paint quality is acceptable. The fit & finish however leaves a lot to be desired and is strictly ordinary.

I got the Bridgestone Duelers as stock tyres which are supposed to be the best from the options used by M&M (JK and Apollo). The Bridgestones have very good grip.

During the AWD experience in the slush the alloys had become brown and gave a very rustic character to the cheetah. I am thinking of getting the alloys painted to brown / black like the fortuner which will give it an ever bolder stance.

Coming to interiors, first the good news - the interior space is just amazing. Ample leg room. Except in the last row, people can really stretch their legs. The leather seats are firm, yet comfortable. I also like the black and beige interior theme and the blue lounge lighting. Having said that, the quality of plastics and the panel-fit is something where the XUV suffers. Interior storage is quite nice with multiple storage options, sunglass holder, place for mobiles, 1 Lt bottles and not to forget even umbrella's. Yes! a very nifty umbrella storage. With all seats up, the boot space is almost absent. I don't foresee travelling with 7 people onboard, so 3rd row would most likely be not used and there is more than enough space for luggage with the 3rd row folded down. The A/C is quite capable (unlike the Duster I considered) to cool the entire cabin in a short time. There is a rear-AC as well, but I haven't encountered a scenario yet where I have to use it. The audio system is very average. I was quite impressed when I experienced the upgraded ICE setup in fellow BHPian Madhu's XUV. I might consider upgrading some time later!

A few pics of the interiors and accessories :


The awesome blue lounge lighting. Looks much better at night.






That's all the space in the boot with 7 seats up


2nd row A/C vent


3rd row independent aircon system . (Must be selected from front console switch prior use)


The ICE


The GPS/ Navigation System


AWD lock among other switches


Manual fuel cap opening arrangement


Last few pics are courtesy Bhpian Varun Raizada (varunraizada)

Driving Impressions : Given that the cheetah is not used for any daily commute and I am yet to complete 3 months with the XUV, please bear with me as I share early driving impressions. First and foremost, the drive is very comfortable in the city and highways alike. The sound filtering inside the cabin is minimal unless you really rev the beast. The overall NVH levels are decent especially at higher gears (above 4th). This maybe due to the less noisy Bridgestones shoes as well. The comfortable ride and quiet cabin makes longish drives quite pleasant.

The front windshield is huge and gives an awesome commanding view of the road. The rear however is quite small and gives a very limited rear view. The rear view camera is a must while backing up. The outer rear view mirrors are big and do the job well.

The steering is perfectly sized, nice to hold and gives a good feedback complementing the drive. Just wish the steering mounted buttons were softer to the touch.

The 1st gear is very short and can be used just for the initial pick up. Try to drive further in the 1st and she starts complaining immediately. The 2nd Gear is notchy but you do get used to it after some days.
The 2.2L mHawk engine is absolutely amazing. Powerful and responsive. Turbo lag is minimal and transition in the gears is effortless. Overall, the city drive honestly is easier than expected even in this manual avatar. Have done a few highway trips till now (been to Pune, Bhandardhara, Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar) and the XUV is quite impressive on highways and broken-roads. The drive to Bhandardara with TeamBHP buddies from Mumbai was actually quite interesting. Yes, she was rolling on twisties and I wasn't very comfortable pushing her in the corners at higher speeds, but on straights she can keep up with almost anything on Indian roads. GT TSIs and Octavias are obviously in a different league to even compare, but it was fun to push the accelerator pedal over potholed roads where everybody else used to slow down and I used to push ahead as if it's normal road. The ground clearance is not very impressive, but adequate. Bad roads is where this big burly XUV5OO really shines.

Since I have the AWD version, I also experimented with some mild off-roading and playing in the mud/slush at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. It was absolute fun!
More details here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...e-awd-fun.html

It was probably the best way to spend the weekend and it couldn't be with a better bunch of people. My XUV was barely a month and half old and at 1000 kms then, but I never hesitated to take her in the mud. What's the use of buying an AWD otherwise?

I urge other members with even more capable cars who have not ventured out to do the same, use the car for what it's meant for. Not just smooth tarmac and highways.

The XUV's braking is awesome and I have experienced ABS kicking-in first-hand during the drive back from Bhandardhara to Mumbai. On the NH3 driving at normal speeds spotted trucks oncoming on wrong side at full speed. Had to slam the brakes completely but there was absolutely no skidding and the vehicle stopped and handled exactly as expected. Breathed a sigh of relief thankful for this technology and drove on.

Overall, I can say she handles highways, city roads and the occasional off-roading equally with aplomb.

Other observations : The ODO today stands at 2500 kms. This is not my daily drive car, so there is no particular pattern to my usage.

The fuel efficiency by tank to tank method was calculated and compared with the MID. Both matched to a fair extent which was quite reassuring because I had read earlier about varying figures in comparison for the two. Currently I am getting around 9.5 kmpl in city and around 12kmpl on highways. I expect this FE to improve after the first service

That's it for now.

And finally I present .... yours truly & Neb - The man and the machine !


A beautiful relationship has just begun and I am looking forward to making a lot of happy memories with Neb.

Please let me know any comments/ doubts and I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge. BHPians SDP, Tanveer, Abirnale and many other veteran XUV owners have helped in their own way. Many thanks to them.

Here are a few useful specs :
Engine: mHawk140 Diesel with 5th Generation Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) churning out 103 kw @3750 rpm / 330 Nm@1600-2800 rpm - 2179cc
Tyres: P235/65 R17, Radial Tubeless
Brakes: All four Disc & Caliper type
Fuel Tank Capacity: 70 Ltrs
Turning Circle Radius: 5.6m
Colors: Sunset Orange / Pearl White / Opulent Purple / Volcano Black / Coral Red / Dolphin Grey and Moondust Silver

Thanks to you the reader for spending your time reading my experience!

[Porschefire]

Heartiest congratulations vinitbhavi. The cheetah looks spectacular especially in that silver shade!!!

I still have to read your review, was just browsing through the pictures and one of them caught my eye like never before. 4th one from the bottom. I've to say this is one of the most beautiful picture of an automobile I've seen in a long time! The background, the cheetah, the water, the light everything is perfect!!! The AWD Cheetah looks happy in its playground.

Enjoy the ride and drive safe mate!

[vdm295]

Congratulation Vinitbhavi on your new buy. Had been following threads of XUV's & have seen your posts on it. Just enjoyed reading & watching the offroading pictures & videos posted by Tanveer. As you rightly mentioned XUV is VFM. From what I have read Mahindra is helping in sorting out the issues & the latest launch of the updated XUV that you have bought should have negligible problems.
I love XUV and would definitely like to own one some day & I hope you enjoy the drive in your new cheetah for many more years.

[dhanushmenon]

Very well written there vinitbhavi. When I bought my car, the wiring period was 6-7 weeks. You got it within some snaps of fingers.

I should particularly compliment the snaps. Very well portrayed. Being a seadog, I'm sure you have honed a lot of your skills in photography at sea. Ain't it?

[Tanveer_2558]

Nothing feels better to join in with someone who is taking such a step in their life, Automobiles for most of the bhpians i think here is more than that, Its about a bond that we share with our car's, I was more than happy to join in and help you in your process to get your "Neb", I am glad everything went smoothly and you are enjoying your neb to the maximum possible, Wish you many many miles of happiness and bro, Some of the pictures are just amazing.

That was the best picture of mine you had ?!?! Or was it on purpose haha.

[vinitbhavi]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Heartiest congratulations vinitbhavi. The cheetah looks spectacular especially in that silver shade!!!

I still have to read your review, was just browsing through the pictures and one of them caught my eye like never before. 4th one from the bottom. I've to say this is one of the most beautiful picture of an automobile I've seen in a long time! The background, the cheetah, the water, the light everything is perfect!!! The AWD Cheetah looks happy in its playground.



Enjoy the ride and drive safe mate!

Thanks bro! Silver has really grown on us and it does look good besides having the nostalgic value of our older SX4 which was silver as well. The pictures are by fellow BHPian varuraizada and he's done a great job!

Originally Posted by vdm295

Congratulation Vinitbhavi on your new buy. Had been following threads of XUV's & have seen your posts on it. Just enjoyed reading & watching the offroading pictures & videos posted by Tanveer. As you rightly mentioned XUV is VFM. From what I have read Mahindra is helping in sorting out the issues & the latest launch of the updated XUV that you have bought should have negligible problems.

I love XUV and would definitely like to own one some day & I hope you enjoy the drive in your new cheetah for many more years.

Hii vdm Yup the offroading adventure was an experience and so much fun. The Mahindra staff are customer oriented and accept the flaws if any. Many thanks for the kind words and hope you have your own cheetah soon.

[fusionbang]

Congratulations Vinit Finally as promised, better late than never you came up with a neat and crisp ownership review. The pictures of the car are really drool worthy and applause for your friend for these clicks.

Happy munching miles with the cheetah and keep updating the thread regularly.

[mpksuhas]

Congrats Vinit.

Crisp narration and superb set of pics.
Unfortunately few of the niggles you mentioned are long standing issues with XUV. Hope you are able to resolve them soon.

Regarding the left side pulling, try rotating the tyres and alignment done.

[abirnale]

Finally, Vinit

Congratulations! And wish you many more (s)miles!

One thing that I always feel bad about is, why I did not choose AWD! May be an opportunity to trade in current W10 FWD for AWD but thats just not happening yet!

[Zahoor23]

Congrats Vinit! The beast looks amazing in those lovely photos. Glad that you went ahead with the AWD model. Happy motoring! May the beast give you loads of memories to cherish for your lifetime

[Ace F355]

Congratulations Vinit on your cheetah and wish you thousands of happy miles with your beast! Nice and crisp review with equally good picture to boot!

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by vinitbhavi

Finally

W8 AWD REFRESH - 16,66,052/-
REGISTRATION - 1,99,926/- (MUMBAI)
EXTENDED WARRANTY - 22,950/-
INSURACE (Policy Bazaar.com) - 41,500/- with Zero DEP
ACCESSORIES - 47,120/-
FLAT DISCOUNT - 24,000/-

TOTAL (ALL INCLUSIVE) - 19,53,5638/-

Congrats vinitbhavi on your latest "WILD" acquistion and it looks smashing

Though I am not a big fan of these behemoths, XUV is probably the best looking one out there. What really makes this a winner is the power it posses to leave the competition behind...Quite Literally!!

Wish you a happy motoring and drive safe.


P.S - That opening picture of your thread is a Wallpaper material buddy.

[SDP]

Congratulations on the new acquisition, Vinit!

Looks smashing in Silver. I am done with dark-colors and would switch back to Silver when I am in the market for my next car (possibly another 5-6 years down the line).

I admire your courage to go and play in the mud with a vehicle so new! It was fun watching you and Tanveer gliding on the mud while me and Madhu watched from the sideline.

Wish you Lakhs of happy kilometers with Neb! Somehow I am pretty sure, just like most of us you would fall in love with your XUV soon (if not already) and then some of these small niggles won't bother you.

[vinitbhavi]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Very well written there vinitbhavi. When I bought my car, the wiring period was 6-7 weeks. You got it within some snaps of fingers.
I should particularly compliment the snaps. Very well portrayed. Being a seadog, I'm sure you have honed a lot of your skills in photography at sea. Ain't it?

Thanks Dhanush the waiting period for various colors/ variants varied from 1-2 months but since this cheetah was already ready at stockyard got it quite soon.Loved her immediately on sight and the decision was made.The pictures are clicked by varun in our photo shoot last Sunday and all credit to him. I too have clicked a few snaps of various experiences and will be putting them up soon.

Originally Posted by Tanveer_2558

Nothing feels better to join in with someone who is taking such a step in their life, Automobiles for most of the bhpians i think here is more than that, Its about a bond that we share with our car's, I was more than happy to join in and help you in your process to get your "Neb", I am glad everything went smoothly and you are enjoying your neb to the maximum possible, Wish you many many miles of happiness and bro, Some of the pictures are just amazing.
That was the best picture of mine you had ?!?! Or was it on purpose haha.

Thanks again for all the help during PDI and your kind words here. The AWD offroading experience was really awesome lets do it again soon.
Sorry but that is the only picture I could click during the PDI It was the first time we met and I was feeling odd asking you to pose

Originally Posted by fusionbang

Congratulations Vinit Finally as promised, better late than never you came up with a neat and crisp ownership review. The pictures of the car are really drool worthy and applause for your friend for these clicks.

Happy munching miles with the cheetah and keep updating the thread regularly.

Thanks for your kind words Sunay. I'm glad to know another fellow silver cheetah owner in you.The color totally rocks!

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Congrats Vinit.

Crisp narration and superb set of pics.
Unfortunately few of the niggles you mentioned are long standing issues with XUV. Hope you are able to resolve them soon.

Regarding the left side pulling, try rotating the tyres and alignment done.

Wow suhas that means a lot coming from you what with your wonderful travelogues all of which i have read. I fully understood the possible niggles and went through with the buy as a gut feeling and happy to say i'm not disappointed. Will be doing alignment soon and rotation also if required.

Originally Posted by abirnale

Finally, Vinit

Congratulations! And wish you many more (s)miles!

One thing that I always feel bad about is, why I did not choose AWD! May be an opportunity to trade in current W10 FWD for AWD but thats just not happening yet!

Thanks avinash along with SDP and tanveer yours was an ownership thread I keenly followed and your experiences have helped in the final decision. That's the best part about the forum which helps so much in making decisions . Don't worry the FWD is a capable monster on its own . I feel similarly sometimes when seeing tanveer's sunroof on the W10 but its OK. You land up loving the beast you own that's how thing's are.

Originally Posted by Zahoor23

Congrats Vinit! The beast looks amazing in those lovely photos. Glad that you went ahead with the AWD model. Happy motoring! May the beast give you loads of memories to cherish for your lifetime

Thanks for the wishes zahoor. I must say that I do love the white version in the cheetah . AWD was something I had keenly wanted since really long.

Originally Posted by Ace F355

Congratulations Vinit on your cheetah and wish you thousands of happy miles with your beast! Nice and crisp review with equally good picture to boot!

Thanks for your kind words ace. This encourages me a lot to continue posting all my experiences on the thread and will regularly do so.

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Congrats vinitbhavi on your latest "WILD" acquistion and it looks smashing

Though I am not a big fan of these behemoths, XUV is probably the best looking one out there. What really makes this a winner is the power it posses to leave the competition behind...Quite Literally!!

Wish you a happy motoring and drive safe.


P.S - That opening picture of your thread is a Wallpaper material buddy.

Thanks vik the XUV is definitely a looker. I had manged to keep up with most speeding sedans on a recent Teambhp drive to Bhandardhara so speed is up to mark along with power
Have changed the wallpaper to the opening picture and its looking smashing. Thanks for the idea!

[vinitbhavi]

Originally Posted by SDP

Congratulations on the new acquisition, Vinit!

Looks smashing in Silver. I am done with dark-colors and would switch back to Silver when I am in the market for my next car (possibly another 5-6 years down the line).

I admire your courage to go and play in the mud with a vehicle so new! It was fun watching you and Tanveer gliding on the mud while me and Madhu watched from the sideline.

Wish you Lakhs of happy kilometers with Neb! Somehow I am pretty sure, just like most of us you would fall in love with your XUV soon (if not already) and then some of these small niggles won't bother you.

Thanks sanjay. As I've mentioned before your posts on the cheetah influenced my decision to a large extent.I actually like your Red especially when it is so beautifully maintained like you have. The monster / beast look is best seen in this color. I can imagine how hard it must be to maintain the shade. The AWD was chosen by me specifically to do stuff like that in the slush and I couldn't wait until after the 1000 kms mark. It was a fun experience with you guiding us with all that experience. I am actually smitten with Neb and totally in love. The niggles are too small in comparison with how much joy and driving pleasure she gives.